Thirty two caricatures, in color, of Israeli Ministers, by Joel Buchwald, 1950s-60s. Various techniques: watercolor, pencil and ink, on paper and on heavy cardboard.
A remarkable collection of caricatures in color, featuring Israeli ministers during the 1960s. The caricatures portray Ministers fulfilling their roles, in a scenery appropriate for their ministry; some caricatures present the subject positively while others tend to criticize the subject.
Each caricature is signed in pen, both by Buchwald and by the minister portrayed.
Joel Buchwald (1920-1997) caricaturist, native of Vienna, started his artistic creation at a young age. In 1938, when in Poland, Buchwald sensed that Jews are in danger and decided to run away. After a long journey he arrived in Uzbekistan, where he met his future wife. He drew portraits of the local people using charcoal and this is how he made a living. He returned to Poland in 1946 and found out that his mother and young brother were murdered in the holocaust. The Communist regime of Poland gave Buchwald permission to open an art studio and entities related to the Communist party commissioned enormous paintings of leaders like Stalin and Lenin to be displayed around the cities.
Buchwald made Aliya to Israel with his family in 1950, where he lived in a new immigrants' project in Herzliya for four and a half years. At that time he started to draw caricatures of passers-by on Allenby Street in Tel-Aviv, where he met the editor of "HaDor" paper who was impressed with his caricatures and offered him a permanent post with the paper.
Buchwald's works were published in the newspapers "HaDor" (Mapai party), "HaYom" (Gahal party), "Haolam Hazeh", "Yediot Ahronot", "Ma'ariv" and "Devar HaShavua". In the late 1950's a collection of postcards with caricatures in color of government ministers was published (see "Kedem" catalogue no. 18, item 135).
Buchwald lived in Holon as of 1954 until he passed away. His drawings won much respect alongside works of other political caricaturists as Dosh (Kariel Gardos), Ze'ev (Ya'akov Farkash) and Ra'anan Lurie. Buchwald's works are exhibited in the Foreign Ministry and in the Comics Museum in Holon.
The collection presented can be divided into three parts:
1-12. A dozen caricatures of David Ben-Gurion and Levi Eshkol's governments, early 1960s. Water color, pencil and ink on heavy cardboard.
Amongst them: *Double caricature of David Ben-Gurion, illustrating his double role in the government. Ben-Gurion is portrayed as Siamese twins, one holding a sign "Prime Minister" and the other holding a sign "Defense Minister". *Double caricature of Levi Eshkol similar to the previous one. *Caricature of Moshe Dayan, Minister of Agriculture, holding a crate with "Moneymaker" tomatoes, product of Israel, next to him two chickens and a bull. The caricature refers to Dayan's attempt to transfer the Israeli market to growing "Moneymaker" tomatoes for export instead of "Marimond" tomatoes. This attempt drew much objection and failed. *Minister of Trade and Industry, Pinchas Sapir, holding a miniature residential building and a bag with money. *Welfare Minister, Joseph Burg, supporting a religious elderly person holding in one hand a baby and in the other hand a Kosher Milk Bottle. * Minister of Education and culture, Abba Eban, dressed in soccer clothes, holding a school's end of year certificate. *Health Minister and Minister of Interior Haim Moshe Shapira, dressed as a doctor, holding a blue ID card. *Minister of Transportation Israel Bar-Yehuda, riding a camel with a sign: "Express Tel-Aviv – Eilat", towing behind him a bus. * Minister of Justice, Dov Joseph, as the Goddess Themis, Goddess of Justice in Greek Mythology – scales in one hand and a sword in his other hand; his eyes are covered. * Foreign Minister Golda Meir, holding a globe in her hand. *Caricatures of Ministry of Religions Zerach Warhaftig and Ministre of Post Eliyahu Sasson.
13-30. Eighteen caricatures of the National Unity Government, with Levi Eshkol as Prime Minister, of 1967 (all are dated). Water color, pencil and ink on Bristol paper. Amongst the caricatures: *Interior Minister, Haim Moshe Shapira, holding in one hand a blue I.D. and in his other hand a book titled "Who is a Jew". * Finance Minister, Pinchas Sapir, squeezing juice in a squeezer with a sign: "Finance Ministry". Instead of eyes appear the signs of a Dollar and a Pound. *Defense Minister, Moshe Dayan, dressed as a knight, holding a sword and a shield. * Minister without Portfolio, Menachem Begin, holding a large portfolio. Foriegn Minister, Abba Eban, holding a globe. Ministerof Religions, Zerach Warhaftig, wearing a Kippa and holding the Tablets of the Law.* Minister of Tourism, Moshe Kol, holding a sign "Welcome to Israel".* Shimon Peres, wearing an apron, pushing a baby pram with the caption"the territories" and an Arab sitting in the pram. *Caricatures of Haim Gvati,Haim Landau, Ze'ev Scharf, Ezer Weizmann, Shlomo Hilel, Israel Galili,Yigal Alon, Eliezer Shimon Riemalt, Joseph Almogi and Joseph Sapir.
31-32. Two caricatures of the 1950s. Water color and gouache on paper.
*Caricature of David Ben-Gurion playing a flute, surrounded by a herd of sheep, 1954. *Caricature of Minister of Justice Pinchas Rosen, 1958.
Total of 32 caricatures. Average size: 34.5X 24.5 cm. Condition varies. Most caricatures in good condition.
Attached is a letter from Buchwald's heirs, authorizing the sale of the publication rights of these work.